Distributor cap and ignition system protection means

ABSTRACT

In a vehicle ignition system including a distributor having a removable cap thereon, an auxiliary cover positioned over the distributor and its cap and covering the distributor cap attaching means, and means permanently securing this auxiliary cover to the distributor cap to prevent unauthorized access thereto.

United States Patent [1 1 Brasty [1 1 3,745,271 [4 1 July 10,1973

DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND IGNITION SYSTEM PROTECTION MEANS Inventor: Joseph M. Brasty, Maple Heights,

Ohio

Assignee: Elizabeth Stokowski, Maple Heights,

Ohio

Filed: Jan. 31, 1972 Appl. No.: 222,208

US. Cl. 200/19 DC, 200/168 H, 339/258 A Int. Cl H0lh 19/04, HOlr 11/24 Field ofSearch ..200/168 H, 19 DC,

200/166 CT; 339/95 A, 258 A References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1941 Burckhalter 200/ 19 DC 3,504,141 3/ 1970 Webster 200/ 1 9 DC FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 119,818 4/1945 Australia 200/19 DC Primary Examiner-Robert K. Schaefer Assistant Examiner-William J. Smith Attorney-New L. Oldham et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT In a vehicle ignition system'including a distributor having a removable cap thereon, an auxiliary cover positioned over the distributor and its cap and covering the distributor cap attaching means, and means permanently securing this auxiliary cover to the distributor cap to prevent unauthorized access thereto.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented July 10, 1973 FIGZ DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND IGNITION SYSTEM PROTECTION MEANS This invention relates to vehicle ignition systems, especially to theft-proof vehicle ignition systems.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION It is well known that many vehicles are stolen or are driven by unauthorized persons when such persons are able to tamper with the ignition system of the vehicle and to short out the ignition switch or take other action to start the motor of the vehicle. While many efforts have been made heretofore to provide various types of theft-proof ignition systems, as represented by US. Pat. Nos. 2,820,149, 3,214,531, and 3,343,625, none of such theft-proof systems, insofar as I am aware, have been completely satisfactory. Nor have any of such prior systems gone into any extensive commercial use.

One way of unauthorized starting of vehicles has been to take off the main voltage lead connecting to a a distributor of the vehicle ignition system and to provide a separate magneto or coil system connected to the high voltage center lead of a distributor by an independent power source whereby when the starter of the car is activated by a power connection directly from the battery to the starter, the motor will operate without the ignition key being turned on.

SUBJECT MATTER OF INVENTION The present invention particularly relates to the distributor in a vehicle ignition system and the invention provides means for preventing unauthorized rernoval of the distributor cap unless some elements associated therewith are broken or else are severely damage. Specifically, the invention as one embodiment thereof relates to an auxiliary cover that fits over the distributor and the cap thereon and expose the leads extending to the distributor but covering the distributor cap and the attaching means therefor. Additional means are provided for securing the auxiliary cover permanently to the distributor whereby a person cannot easily have access to the distributor for unauthorized starting of the vehicle.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved theft-proof ignition system and especially to improved means for preventing ready access to the distributor and the high voltage lead connecting thereto, and/or that portion of a vehicle ignition system.

Another object of the invention is to provide an armored cable connecting the high voltage ignition coil to the distributor at the center high voltage connection thereof in combination with an auxiliary cover on the distributor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal sleeve adapted to engage the center post or terminal of a distributor cap and to be readily engaged therewith to retain an auxiliary cover on the distributor cap but with such sleeve being very difficult to remove from ehgagement with the distributor cap so as to retain the auxiliary cover thereon, and to provide an armored cable connecting to the distributor center lead.

Another object of the invention is to provide relatively inexpensive, uncomplicated means that can easily be attached to a conventional ignition system and aid in rendering the same theft-proof.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

The present invention may be used in combination with the theft-proof ignition system as shown and described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 109,513, filed Jan. 25, 1971, or it may be used in any vehicle system as desired.

Reference now is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation, partially broken away and shown in section of a distributor cap with means of the invention thereon including an armored lead extending from the distributor cap to the high voltage outlet of a coil being indicated;

FIG. 2 is an elevation, partially broken away and shown in vertical section of the auxiliary distributor cover of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the auxiliary distributor cover or cap of FIG. 2.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawing and referred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used to facilitate comparison therebetween.

Specifically, the drawings show a conventional distributor 10 as is used in substantially all vehicle ignition systems. These distributors l0 normally have a removable cap 12 positioned thereon as by spring clips 14 that are carried by a support member 16 positioning the distributor in the vehicle. The clips 14 engage suitable recesses or shoulders 18 provided on opposed portions of the cap 12 whereby the cap can be readily removed for repair, inspection or other purposes. The distributor cap 12 is connected in the ignition system of a vehicle in a conventional manner and this distributor and the cap 12 thereof normally include a plurality of upwardly extending sockets or bosses 20 in which the individual leads 22, 24, etc., connect or are received to connect the distributor to the individual cylinders of the motor of the vehicle.

The distributor further includes a center post 26 that may be of slightly different size than the other sockets or posts 20 and which center connection or post is the high voltage connection to the distributor. Normally the distributor cap 12 and the post 26 are formed from a suitable insulating material such as any conventional plastic material that is hard and durable when molded to shape.

The drawings show that an auxiliary cover 30 is positioned over the distributor l0 and particularly the cap 12 thereon. This auxiliary cover 30 has a plurality of apertures 32 provided in peripherally spaced portions thereof to receive or slide over the sockets 20 on the distributor cap and with one center aperture 34 being provided in the cover to receive the center post 26 therein when the auxiliary cover is placed over the distributor cap prior to engaging the leads 22, 24, etc., therewith.

It is a feature of the invention that the auxiliary cover 30 extends down along the lateral margins of the distributor cap so as to cover the springs or clips 14 and retain them in their operative engaged position with the shoulders 18. Thus when some type of a permanent means is provided on the cente'r post 26 after the auxiliary cover 30 has been applied thereto, then the auxiliary cover will not permit release of the clips 14 and the cover is permanently retained on the distributor. Such attaching means, as shown in the drawings, include a metal sleeve 40 which is flared or enlarged at the lower end thereof whereas the sleeve 40 then is adapted to telescope smoothly over the center post 26. The size of the sleeve 40 is correlated with the size of the center post 26 and the center aperture 34 in the auxiliary cover 30 so that the cover can be removed with the sleeve 40 engaged with the center post. The center high voltage terminal is positioned in the center post 26 which thus forms the center terminal of the distributor. To retain the sleeve in its operative position, I preferably provide a plurality of inwardly and upwardly extending tongues or tangs 42 that are suitably pierced from or forced inwardly of the sleeve 42 and which terminate in sharp ends that are pointed axially away from the distributor 10. Thus these tangs 42 will not interfere with the telescopic engagement of the sleeve 40 with the center post 26 but will severely retard or prevent one from sliding the sleeve 40 off of the center post after being positioned thereon.

It also is a feature of the invention that the sleeve 40 has its axially outer end fixedly engaged in any suitable manner with an armored protective metal sleeve or cable 44 that is positioned around a lead 46. This lead 46 is the high voltage lead which extends from a coil 48 at the high voltage terminal thereof and connects to the center post terminal of the distributor. Likewise at the distributor coil 44 a second sleeve 50 is provided and it is of similar construction to the sleeve 40. The outer end of the sleeve 50 is suitably permanently engaged with the armored coil or tube 44 in which the lead 46 is received whereby one cannot disengage the lead 46 from either end thereof or have access thereto. Hence the high voltage portion of the ignition system in the vehicle is not readily available to any unauthorized person and anyone endeavoring to start the vehicle by changing the normal wires or leads in the high' voltage portion of the ignition system will not be able to have access to such lead in the system. However, if one desires to have access to the distributor for inspection or repair of the same, one can remove the leads 22 and 24 from the cap 12 and then slide the auxiliary cover 30 along the cable 44 to render the distributor accessible. But, for a thief to try to obtain access to the high voltage portion of the distributor 10 or coil 48 he would have extreme difficulty and could well so damage the ignition system of the vehicle as to prevent any operation thereof.

In some instances, it may be desirable to retain the distributor cover 30 on the cap 12 by the sleeve 40 and then the center aperture 34 is made smaller than the outer diameter of the sleeve 40.

A slot or hole 60 is formed in the cover 30 to permit access to the distributor 12 and the adjustment opening therein by a suitable tool.

The novel means of the invention can readily be attached to conventional vehicle ignition systems by removing the lead normally connecting the high voltage outlet of the coil 44 to the center post 26of the distributor and providing an armored cable connector as per.

the present invention. Hence it is believed that the objects of the invention have been achieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particular embodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination in a vehicle ignition system including a distributor having a cap thereon removably secured to the distributor, and a high voltage center lead connecting to the distributor center terminal, the distributor having a center post at its center terminal, with means permanently securing said center lead to said distributor cap, said center lead being enclosed in a protective sleeve, said means comprising a metal sleeve with projecting tongues extending inwardly thereof but rearwardly of the sleeve in relation to its direction of application to the post, said metal sleeve connecting to said protective sleeve.

2. The combination as in claim 1 with a coil having a high voltage high voltage terminal, said center lead connecting to said terminal to connect it to the center terminal of said distributor, and said protective sleeve comprising an armored means surrounding said lead from said terminal to said securing means.

3. A combination as in claim 1 where said distributor cap has a plurality of upwardly protruding means thereon for receiving connecting leads, and an auxiliary cover is provided and is apertured to fit over the protruding means on said cap, said auxiliary cover covering the distributor cap attaching means.

4. In combination in a vehicle ignition system including a distributor having a removable cap thereon secured thereto, with an auxiliary coverpositioned over the distributor and the cap thereon and covering the distributor cap attaching first securing means but exposing the distributor leads, means permanently secured to a protruding center post of said distributor cap, said means comprising a metal sleeve with projecting tongues extending inwardly thereof but rearwardly of the sleeve in relation to its direction of application to the post, a coil having a high voltage terminal, a lead connecting said terminal to the center post of said distributor, armored means surrounding said lead from said terminal to said securing means, and second securing means permanently engaging said terminal and being secured to said armored means, said first securing means also being secured to said armored means.

5. A combination as in claim 4 where said distributor cap has a plurality of upwardly protruding means thereon for receiving connecting leads, said auxiliary cover is apertured to fit over the connecting means on said cap, and said cap is made from a plastic.

6. A combination as in claim 4 where said distributor cap has a plurality of upwardly protruding means thereon for receiving connecting leads, said auxiliary cover is apertured to fit over the connecting means on said cap, and said metal sleeve tightly engages said center post and prevents removal of said auxiliary cover.

7. A combination as in claim 4 and including said coil r high voltage terminal including a post, and said second securing means being telescopically engagable with said post but being extremely resistant to being pulled off of said post. 

1. In combination in a vehicle ignition system including a distributor having a cap thereon removably secured to the distributor, and a high voltage center lead connecting to the distributor center terminal, the distributor having a center post at its center terminal, with means permanently securing said center lead to said distributor cap, said center lead being enclosed in a protective sleeve, said means comprising a metal sleeve with projecting tongues extending inwardly thereof but rearwardly of the sleeve in relation to its direction of application to the post, said metal sleeve connecting to said protective sleeve.
 2. The combination as in claim 1 with a coil having a high voltage high voltage terminal, said center lead connecting to said terminal to connect it to the center terminal of said distributor, and said protective sleeve comprising an armored means surrounding said lead from said terminal to said securing means.
 3. A combination as in claim 1 where said distributor cap has a plurality of upwardly protruding means thereon for receiving connecting leads, and an auxiliary cover is provided and is apertured to fit over the protruding means on said cap, said auxiLiary cover covering the distributor cap attaching means.
 4. In combination in a vehicle ignition system including a distributor having a removable cap thereon secured thereto, with an auxiliary cover positioned over the distributor and the cap thereon and covering the distributor cap attaching first securing means but exposing the distributor leads, means permanently secured to a protruding center post of said distributor cap, said means comprising a metal sleeve with projecting tongues extending inwardly thereof but rearwardly of the sleeve in relation to its direction of application to the post, a coil having a high voltage terminal, a lead connecting said terminal to the center post of said distributor, armored means surrounding said lead from said terminal to said securing means, and second securing means permanently engaging said terminal and being secured to said armored means, said first securing means also being secured to said armored means.
 5. A combination as in claim 4 where said distributor cap has a plurality of upwardly protruding means thereon for receiving connecting leads, said auxiliary cover is apertured to fit over the connecting means on said cap, and said cap is made from a plastic.
 6. A combination as in claim 4 where said distributor cap has a plurality of upwardly protruding means thereon for receiving connecting leads, said auxiliary cover is apertured to fit over the connecting means on said cap, and said metal sleeve tightly engages said center post and prevents removal of said auxiliary cover.
 7. A combination as in claim 4 and including said coil high voltage terminal including a post, and said second securing means being telescopically engagable with said post but being extremely resistant to being pulled off of said post. 